Contemplations and Devotions, Part 21
XXI. They give him Gall and Vinegar,Math. 27. Ioh. 19. to drinke out of a Reed.
TVVas our Saviours complaint elswhere, I was a thirst, Mat. 25.35.and yee gave mee not to drinke, here hee could not so complaine, he hath no sooner said,Mat. 27.48. I thirst, but one straight way runs for gall and vinegar to give him. How Strumpet-like are their grants, worse then their denials? how much worse his supplies, then his wants? how much more may hee here iustly complaine (as in the Psalme) when I was thirsty they gave mee gall to drinke; Psal. 69.22.and herein, how nimble are the feet of malice, though in the crooked by-wayes of darknesse?Rom. 3.15. how swift to shed blood? 'tis not enough that they stand in the way of Sinners, no,Psa. 1.1. nor walke in the counsell of the vngodly; no pace is swift enough in sins errands vnderunder that of running, one straight wayes ran, &c. How much doe these malicious wretches outstrip even those the Centurions Seruants in speed and promptnesse; if hee say to one goe, hee goes, but if malice say to one of these goe, hee runs; but alas, how much more, though nothing but destruction and vnhappinesse bee in their wayes, doth this their readier, heartier speed vpbraid our leaden, entangled slowth in the race of godlinesse? Heb. 12.1.is a Proselite to bee made, Mat. 23.15.how will a Pharise (Iewish, or Romane either) compasse Sea, and land to compasse it? is the wages of iniquity offred, Mat. 26.16.how will a Iudas thenceforth seeke opportunity to betray innocent blood, though of a master, a Maker? is gall and vinegar here to bee vsed in his torture? it shall not want either a thirsty care to entertaine, or an itching foot to runne such an errand; whereas, let God send and guide too Israel, though out of thraldome and that to Canaan, how doe they grudge, and murmure all the way? is Lots wife sent though out of burning Sodome, Gen. 19.23.yet she must have a glance backward, and at least looke a loath to depart; let God send vsus into his Vineyard (though to worke out our owne saluations) one sayes flatly (as in the Parable) hee will not goe, Phil. 2.12.Mat. 21.another sayes, I will, but goes not, a third would faine goe, but there is a Lyon in the way, Prov. 22.23every straw in that way is a steeple, every clod a Mountaine, every brooke an Ocean, and that how full of Remora'es, and Torpedoes of delay? all wee either have, or can, or are, 'tis from him, and so all 'tis due vntounto him, and yet all 'tis still vnworthy of him; and yet thus heart-bound is that little all of service that we doe him, wee pray as if wee were afraid to be heard, wee heare as if wee were loath to be sav'd, and generally wee serve him as if wee were loath to please him; if the salt hath lost its savour, what is it else fit for but the dunghill? if the light be darknes, how great is that darknesse? if our devotions be thus vnseasoned, vnsavoury, vnlightsome, guilty, how great is that guilt. Our naturall indissposednesse towards these offices of devotion, together with our enemies vigilant iealousies against them, and vsus in them, as they much commend the work, so should they as much adresse the doer. Nor is the foote of malice a readier messenger, then its heart a Megazine of such provision, this potion (it seemes) 'twas not now to seeke, one ranne straight-way and fetch'd it, their rockie hearts were ever overflowing fountains of these bitter waters of strife, Num. 20.13. Psal. 140.3 Ioh 19.28.this poyson of Aspes, and yet will not our Saviour to fulfill his owne Scripture, and expiate our thirsting after that Cup of abominations, Rev. 17.4but thirst after it. And well might he complaine of thirst, having now what with weeping, and watching, and fasting, and sweating, and bleeding, almost all moysture in him quite exhaust; and yet greater is his thirst of soule, then body, more after the impletion of our redemption, then any repletion of his owne desires, the necessity of this draught which here he thirsts after 'twas not so much natura (as the Schools speake) as decreti, St. Iohn is herein expresse, therefore is it (sayes he) that hee said I thirst, Ioh. 19.28.that the Scripture might be fulfilled; hee knew well enough, that the drink they would give him, would bee out of that same bitter Marah of their inexhaustible malice,Exo. 15.23. hee knew that their Vine was of the Vine of Sodome, Deut. 32.32that their Grapes were grapes of gall, & their clusters bitter; Deut. 32.33that their wine was the the poyson of Dragons, and the cruell venome of Aspes; hee knew that if he should aske bread, they would give him a stone, if a fish a Scorpion, hee lookes not from them compassionatly to bee releeu'd, but abusively at once tortured, and (as they thought) deluded; hee expects not to gather Grapes frō such thorns, only we had deseru'd it, the Scriptures had said it, that therefore our desert, and his decree might both be fulfill'd, and so himselfe satisfied though still a thirst, (spight of all the knowne, both gall of their bitter sponge, worse poyson of their spongy hearts) hee will thirst, and tast too this their worst of malice; even this Cup too of theirs, as wel as that other of his Fathers shall not passe in that his will, Luk. 21.42.in this his word, in both our desert shall be fully done; nor shall this bitter draught be without its mysterie, as well as Prophesie; what is this their hollow Reed, where with they thus abuse, and torture him, but a pregnant figure of that their Sepulcher-like Synagogue? that within it's painted our side of superstition, holds nothing but the rotten carcass of religion; an empty Reed in it's phantastick glosses, a hollow Reed in its dissembling gl…zings, a dry Reed in it's fruitlesse barrennesse, a knotty sturdy Reed in it's obstinate perversenes, a wavering inconstant Reed shaken with every winde, Math. 11.7.a trustlesse broken Reede running into the hand, the heart of him that leanes on't. This Synagogue of theirs 'tis no other then the Reede that before flouted his kingdome, and now his wisedome, abusing him with the vinegar of superstition (now vinegar-like degenerate from the true wine of devotion (which once it was) mixt with the bitter gall of scorn, & malice. But
O my blessed Lord and Saviour, thou that art the Well of the water of life, Ioh. 4.14.of which who so drinketh, Ioh. 14.1.shall never thirst againe, the Vine whence flowes that purer Wine, which onelyonly makes truly glad the heart of man; shall not onelyonly men both tast and see how gracious thou the Psa. 34.8.Lord art to them, but wilt thou both see, and here tast too how vngracious, malicious they can be to thee? nay, wilt thou not onelyonly take and tast, but thirst after the bitter'st of their malice? but (alas) how much bitterer was that mixt cup of thy Fathers wrath,Luk. 22.42. and my sin? that thou seemest a while to shrinke at, but this to thirst after. O let mee ever then consider (Lord) that though my sinnes may seeme to me sweet as stolne waters, Pro. 9.17.yet to thee they are waters of gall, Ier. 9.15.and wormewood, and worse, the vialls of divine vengeance, since my heart then hath beene a fountaine of such gallish waters: O let my head too (with Ieremies) bee a fountaine of brinish teares, Ier. 9.1.that as Elisha healed those infectious waters by casting salt into them: 2 Reg. 2.21so may I these poysonous waters of sinne, by casting on them the salt teares of true repentance, and so I may be sure (Lord) my waters shall bee turned into wine (as thou didst by that at Cana) but didst thou thirst more to have my redemption fulfill'd,Ioh. 2. then thine own wants relieu'd, and shall I not thirst more after the impletion of thy will, then of mine owne desires? O let me doe by thee (Lord) as thou by thy blessed Father; ever make it my meate and drinke to doe thy will, Ioh. 4.34.Math. 5.6.ever hunger and thirst after righteousnesse: let mee not with those in Amos, Amos 1.7.pant after the dust of this earth, but (with David) after thee as the Hart after the rivers of waters. Psa. 42.1.Let not (Lord I beseech thee) these their bloudie feete of malice in thy torture, so much shame those of my love in thy service, theirs are not content with any pace, but running in sinnes errands, where the wages is but death: Rom. 6.23.let not mine be behinde them in the race of godlinesse, 1 Cor. 9.24.where the goale is glory; Heb. 12.1.but with David, let mee not onelyonly walke in the pathes of thy precepts; no, nor barely runne neither in the wayes of thy commaundements, Psal. 19.but with him at lest wish that I had Psa. 55.6.wings like a Dove to flye vntounto my rest: and in as much as sinne, specially malice is the gall that still relishes worse with thee then this of their Reede, let mee not onelyonly wish to have wings like a Dove, but strive not to have any gall like the Dove, Mat. 10.16.in innocence and meeknesse of spirit, nor in that only, but like the Doves be my best musick,Esa 59 11. a mournfull remorsefull groaning, like the Doves, be my feeding not on the carrion of spirituall corruption, sinne; but on the pure and choycer grain of thy word; like the Dove let me ever love and live in a sociable and peacefull vnion, with thy flocke; like the Dove, let mee love to sit by the cleare streames of thy Scriptures,Can. 5.12. that therein I may (with the Dove) spye a farre off the least shaddow of that approaching vulture the devill, (like the Dove) let mee ever make my nest in the holes of the rocke; Can. 2.14.thy wounds who art the onelyonly rocke of my refuge; Psal. 18.1.and lastly (with the pregnant dove) let mee ever bring forth twinnes, Can 4.2.piety, and charity, faith, and repentance.